[72.03] Superwind Models for the Dust Shells around OH/IR Stars

T. J. Jones (U. Minn), K. -W. Suh (ChungbukNU)

We investigate the observational effects of a 'superwind'
mass loss phase driven by a thermal pulse in the interior
of Late AGB stars. Radiative equilibrium models of dust
shells around red giants that contain an enhancement in the
dust density distribution over a discrete range in radii are
computed. The emergent model spectral energy distribution is
compared with observations. Superwind dust shell models with
a distant detatched enhancement fit the observations of very
dusty OH/IR stars better than conventional model density
distributions. However,superwind models with the enhancement
detatched but in close to the condensation radius produce
peculiar results not seen in OH/IR stars.